'Crazy Cat People Party' a meowing success
When patrons walked into the Bartlett Library's meeting room on Saturday, June 25, they were met with a few friendly, feline eyes. There were four kittens and two cats: Bay, Blackjack, Wren, Nutmegan, Katmandu and Eric the Red. Patrons could hold the kittens and pet the cats to their hearts' content throughout the program "Crazy Cat People Party."
A total of 33 patrons made it to the Bartlett Library that day where they were not only able to play with cats and kittens, but they were also able to participate in a feline trivia game, create a cat wand toy and color cat-themed coloring pages.
Patron Lauren Thorson was in attendance and came to the program because she thought it would be a fun way to spend the day. What she didn't think she would do was actually adopt a kitten, but when she saw three-month-old Bay, she couldn't help herself.
"I have an older 16-year-old cat," Thorson explained. "I'm hoping for him to show [Bay] the ropes."
Along with all of the activities, Stephanie Jenisch from the People and Animals in Community Together (PACT) Humane Society of Bloomingdale put on a short presentation concerning cats.
Jenisch explained the importance of smell, sight and then cat tail and ear positions.
Cats will mark their territory by rubbing up on objects to transfer their scent onto them. Cats will also communicate with other cats by sharing their scent.
The old saying of "Cats can see in the dark" is not totally true. While they can't see in complete darkness, they can see well in very low light, much better than humans can. They are also nearsighted and have a third eyelid.
Jenisch then went on to explain a few ways people can judge a cat's attitude based on their tail or ear positions. If a cat's tail is held high that means they are happy; if the tail is puffy then the cat is angry or scared; and if it is moving while the cat is sleeping, that means that the cat is dreaming. Then there are the ears: If they are flat against the cat's head that means the cat isn't happy, and if they are straight up then the cat is content.
If people are interested in helping out the PACT Humane Society, there is always adopting an animal, becoming a foster home, volunteering or donating.
Another upcoming Adult Services program is "The Goodness of Grains" on Wednesday, June 29 at 7 p.m. Join Kim Nordin, owner of whEAT REAL, as she demonstrates how to prepare delicious, nutritious foods using whole grains. She will discuss making bread from fresh ground flour and how to incorporate grains such as spelt, millet, quinoa and others into your cooking and baking. Recipes and tasty samples provided.
For more information and a complete listing of scheduled programs, call 630.837.2855 or visit www.bartlettlibrary.org.